The present example is the successor to the groundbreaking SK 4 Phonosuper radio, designed in 1956 by Dieter Rams and Hans Gugelot. Tasked with designing a radio and record player combination, the duo constructed a sleek, metal box with wood sides and an acrylic lid. Exposing the technical components of the radio had never been done and prior to the SK 4, radios were housed in clunky, ornately-carved wooden cabinets with cloth-wrapped speakers. Nicknamed “Snow White’s Coffin” by critics, the SK 4 was met with overwhelming enthusiasm from consumers and established Braun as innovators in the world of contemporary design.